Daddy's little girl
by sbeatlesfanatic
Summary: Johnny gets more than he could deal with when he rescues a little two year old girl from a fire. First he discovers the life she led in her little life hasn't been great, then that she is his biological daugther. If that wasn't bad,the stepdad is abusive.
1. The rescue

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

* * *

Chapter One

The rescue

Aurora Schultz looked peered over to her father noticing how drunk he was getting. Her little two year old mind couldn't understand why he would drink that horrible stuff and the fact that her mommie was out partying and doing drugs again was beyond the extreme. She quickly turned back to the televison as he glanced at her knowing if she caught his eye she'd be taught another lesson.

The squeak of the couch meant he was getting up and Aurora tensed. Her blonde hair lay around her face messily and was knotted because nobody ever brushed it. She wore the same pink shirt and pants but owned no shoes. Her hazel eyes were staring emptilly at the television as she silently trembled at what her dad was going to do. Daddy Mike was mad again because he couldn't pay bills again and he was going to throw off some steam she knew; it was only a matter of time.

She squealed when he turned off the television using the beer bottle and he glared at her disgustedly. He hated children and she was a smart girl, way to smart for her age. Smiling evilly he grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face into the screen.

"What did I say about talking or yelling or making any sound whatsoever! A child is supposed to be seen and not heard!" he yelled at her.

She didn't answer and he smacked her beside the back of her head.

"It's bad enough that I have to support your messed up mom but you shouldn't have been born darling. I hate you good you hear? Now tell me how bad a girl you are," He hollered in her face.

Aurora felt tears go down her face and was about to answer daddy Mike when he picked her up and started to shake her.

"You are a bad girl that deserved never to have been made. Your mommy has been with too many guys and all you do is drain my bills," he yelled.

He tossed her over to the couch and she didn't move afraid he was going to do some more damage. He came over and smacked her across the face. She started to cry now and couldn't stop. Over her crying she couldn't hear daddy Mike but was glad when everything went black.

* * *

"Roy I tell ya, that chick just isn't going to be able to reject me any longer. I'm getting to her and I'm sure it is going to be between today and tommorrow," Johnny ranted as Roy rolled his eyes glad they weren't heading for Rampart but couldn't wait to get back to the station..

"Just tell me one thing," Roy said stopping him midrant. "Is Raven going to take any more of it is the question."

"It's not Raven Roy, it's Sally. You haven't been listening-"

_Squad 51, engine 51, fire structure, 3016 B Crystal Lane, repeat 3016B Crystal Lane, time out 1310_

Roy silently thanked the interruption as Johnny responded to dispatch. Making a u turn, he didn't like the part of town the fire was located at. It was a part of town that nobody paid much attention to because there was a bunch of problems and they were bad. Child abuse was normal there as well as drunks, prostitiutes, and addicts.

As soon as they got there Cap was ordering them to check out a young woman who looked to be in her twenties. Johnny nodded and both he and Roy got their equipment before going over to see if she was alright.

"Mam can you tell us your name," Roy asked her.

"Mikkie and I can also tell you some other stuff I can give you," she said with a giggle.

Another female looked pretty much stoned too but was much more intuned with her surroundings for she struggled to get free when Johnny took her vitals.

"No, you don't understand, my little girl is still in there," She said close to tears.

Johnny glanced at Roy and then rushed to the Captain Stanley with the update.

"I don't know about the structure of this building. Look make it quick because it could come down at any time," Hank told him.

He went back to Laura and asked, "What apartment number is it?"

"Uh, it's 16A," she answered.

Roy watched as Johnny rushed in after donning the protection and hoped that this lady wasn't lying about her daughter being in there. He watched as a man who was obviously drunk came over to her and started shouting.

"How could you tell them about her. She's a drain on our money and if she isn't dead yet she will be," he yelled.

"What'd you do this time Mike, she's only a baby," Laura cried.

Mike, the drunk man, shrugged. Roy was suprised that he didn't seem to care about the daughter's welfare.

"Mike, the girl wasn't even your child, it was some one night stand with a stupid fireman and yet the she's the best I've ever done," she shrieked.

"Yet she was supposed to keep quiet, Laura that's the rule. Your child was supposed to be seen and not heard," He fought.

She just turned around crying and suddenly began to vomit. He just slapped her and that's when Hank with Roy got involved to split them up.

Meanwhile, Johnny looked around and desperate to find the child, looked everywhere. He looked upstairs just as the smoke got higher and he found her on the floor in the bedroom and she wasn't breathing. Her lips were turning a blue tinge so without a second thought, he took off his mask and started cpr. After some debrise almost fell on them, he was happy when she started to breath on her own. He placed the air mask on her and then rushed out as fast as he could and set her on the ground.

Mike, who had been angry at the firemen for interrupting the fight with his wife, looked on with disgust.

"Isn't she dead yet," he asked.

Roy and Hank shared a look but beyond that, they didn't give him an answer.

"Man this is bad Roy. She has two broken legs, a fractured skull at least from the judgement of truama to her head, cracked ribs, and there could be internal injuries too," Johnny told him.

Roy relayed that to Rampart and then waited while Johnny collected vital signs. It was hard to believe she had so much injuries but Roy looked back at Mike and could tell that he was probably the culprit. Mike Stoker came over to them and took in the sight of the child.

"Is there anything I could do," he asked offering to help.

"Besides taking twiddlie dumb to jail, I don't think so," Roy muttered as he glanced over to Jim from squad eighteen working on Laura and Mike complain that they shouldn't be paying attention to the 'drain on their money'.

He shook his head. Those people shouldn't even became parents.


	2. the news

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency!

* * *

Chapter two

Once the little girl had been placed in the ambulance, Roy let Johnny take it in. The girl was probably never going to be okay, Roy thought. He couldn't help but think of his own little girl who was four at the moment and just two years older than the one brought in. It just made him sick to realize that some people could treat little girls like that. Her hair was in knots which meant that neither parent had taken care of her even before. He was glad his children were okay and that Joanne was never hooked on anything but he still felt for others.

He left the squad in it's usual place and then helped Johnny get the stretcher out of the ambulance. Dixie led them to treatment room three and they transferred her to the examination table. She let Johnny take another set of vitals as Dr. Brackett came in. Johnny quickly filled him in on her condition.

"So let me get this straight, her legs are broken, her ribs are cracked and she has a head injury plus smoke inhalation," Dr. Brackett asked slowly.

"Yeah, and there's a bruise, I musta missed it there but it's on her temple," Johnny pointed out.

Dr. Brackett nodded.

"Okay and would you know the age and her parents," Dr. Brackett continued.

"Well the mom was high and the stepdad drunk," Roy relayed. "She said something about having a one night stand with a fireman but I don't know who because she didn't say much."

Dr. Brackett looked solemn then turned to Dixie.

"I need x-rays, cbcs, and series of the head,chest, and legs," he told her.

"I don't like this one bit, this sounds like abuse," he mumbled with the shake of his head.

They nodded. They hated theses cases too because it was children that usually got hurt.

They stepped out for a minute and Dr. Brackett followed them.

"We may need to give her blood but we can't use the mother's and once I get the blood type maybe you'll be up for the cause," Brackett told them.

Johnny nodded.

"Just tell us when doctor," Johnny told him.

Brackett smiled a bit and replied, "I knew you guys would."

* * *

They headed back to the station and Johnny hopped out before it got to a complete stop. Roy sighed. Maybe one day he'd learn to wait until he stopped the squad complety.

"So how's the girl," Hank asked.

Roy sighed.

"She's gonna be fine," Roy told him.

"You know, she had o type blood and I know only one person who's always dating girls and has that blood type," Roy mumbled.

"What Desoto," Hank asked.

"Oh just a theory on the daddie because that was just the step,"Roy answered.

Hank sighed and nodded.

Johnny came into the dayroom rubbing his arm still and mumbling about needles.

"What's his problem," Hank asked.

"Oh, he's just a bad sport because he's donated some blood for the cause," Roy said. "He didn't hesitate but he hates needles."

Hank just rolled his eyes at the behavior of the youngest man of station 51 but nodded in understatement.

* * *


	3. After all she's been through

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

* * *

Chapter three

After all she went through

Johnny knew he shouldn't have visited the girl because of the fact that she had to be sedated for someone to be near her, but something pulled him to her and before he knew it, he was looking down on the peacably sleeping two year old with a mixture of concern and worry. He knew Jenny when she was two years old and she had never had to go through what this little girl went through. Jenny had a mother that brushed her hair and parents to play with her and be with her when they needed her. Sighing he decided to sit down and watch as she breathed evenly glad he was able to save her.

She began to stir and Johnny hesitated. He knew that she could become scared and become combative, but he couldn't bear to call in a nurse to give an injection of seditives at the moment and just settled for watching her. She blinked as she looked at him, little tremors filling her little body and Johnny's heart felt for that girl.

"I hear your name is Aurora. That's a pretty name you know. My friend's daughter is two and a half years older than you but I bet age doesn't matter to you when you're little," Johnny rambled.

Aurora seemed to begin to think that he was a threat because she let out a whimper. Johnny went over to her making sure she saw where his hands were because he didn't want to scare her. Smiling down at her, he quickly got out a brush.

"You want me to brush your hair and make you a do," he asked.

She looked at him hesitantly and then nodded an acceptance. She didn't really get why he was acting so friendly because her daddy never acted like this towards her but as she let him gently brush out the knots in her hair and put it up in a partial ponytail, she began to smile. Seeing it, Johnny smiled. He then showed her the mirror and she looked at him with a little glint in her eyes.

"Hey you look good. Maybe when I get a pen I can sign the casts on your legs and then we can entertain. There's barbies; a Jenny favorite, coloring a coloring book, you could draw, or you could talk and talk and talk," Johnny told her getting a duffel bag and showing it to her.

She chose to color, but she did hold onto to a small brown teddy bear that was also in there. Johnny handed her the crayons and she started to color and although it was outside the lines, it didn't really matter because she was opening up to him.

"So Aurora, what's your middle name," Johnny asked not expecting an answer.

"Gweorgwette," She answered busily squibbling away.

Johnny smiled.

He knew he didn't get attached to patients emotionally but sometimes he couldn't help but do it but this was something different and he didn't know what it was, but didn't want it too end too soon.

* * *

Roy stuck his head inside the doctor's lounge and sighed when he only seen Dr. Brackett and Dixie there. He berated himself for letting his partner get away when they were getting supplies. Johnny sure knew to keep a person on their toes, Roy thought.

"Hey, Brackett how's the little girl," Roy asked.

Brackett looked thoughtful.

"She's doing better but is currently taking sedatives to calm her down. The problem is the mother. She seems to believe that the one night stand was with a fireman out of station ten two and a half years ago and you knew Johnny that long right," Brackett inquired.

Roy nodded and Brackett continued.

"Well, she let it-uh slip that it could be anybody there. Tony said though that he remembered a girl by the name of Laura that Johnny had been dating and that she was with several other men too," Brackett finished.

Roy shook his head wondering why some people were willing to ruin their lives like that. Just as he was about to answer, a nurse came in looking excited.

"Gave Aurora a sedative yet," Brackett asked.

"More like an upper," the nurse told him.

At his look she specified, "Look come with me quietly and see."

They went to the room that Aurora was being kept in and peered inside. Roy was curious, Brackett clueless, and Dixie didn't want to miss this. She knew a show when she saw one.

Johnny was in there and Aurora seemed to be okay but not really calm either. In fact, she was very hyper and Brackett was wondering why how he was going to lecture Johnny on following regulations and not sneak into other patients rooms while keeping a straight face. It was a humorous sight though.

Aurora threw the doll against the wall and picked up another doll and said, "No, she die."

Johnny pretending to be Ken said in a high pitch, "Skipper, you can't-Why do we keep killing her off and why do I always have to be Ken and the baby Kelly."

Roy couldn't help it anymore but started laughing out loud. He quickly left to control himself followed by Dixie while Brackett remained behind observing the now red faced paramedic. Aurora held on tightly to a brown teddy bear and he only assumed Johnny gave it to her because it wasn't there before.

"Guess she's not going to need a sedative," Brackett said.

"I'm going to need to give the guys at the station one if they ever get wind of this," Johnny replied.

Aurora just smiled and tugged at Johnny's sleeves.

"Yeah," he asked.

She just smiled and intwined her hands before putting them in her lap. Brackett couldn't help but noticed how her hair was now brushed and pulled back partically and she seemed very happy around Johnny. He himself thought it was impossible for Johnny to ever spend this amount of time with a child he didn't even know.

Johnny realized that she was too shy to ask for any contact whatsoever, gave her a hug and she smiled before she eyed Brackett.

"Okay I know when I'm not needed anymore, Oh and Johnny make sure I get a little bit of blood for a test. You two behave and no more-"he looked down at the skipper barbie on the floor. "-killing Skipper while you are at it," he finished with an amused grin.

He heard Johnny's groan and Aurora laugh as he headed out of the room and he couldn't help but smile. He knew it would be only a matter of time before news hit that he was playing barbies with a two year old patient that he only met at a fire. He frowned as he remembered that the mother had pinned most of the blame on the stepfather who was nowhere to be found. He realized that he would have to make sure that the guy didn't know where the toddler was because anyone willing to beat a kid and then kill them in a fire would certainly want them dead and she went through a lot as it was with the injuries.

He just hoped she didn't have to see the person ever again and smiled briefly wondering where Johnny got the skills to deal with children. He had the Gage charm going for him but the girl was petrified and he just went in to be friendly and would come out with something more. She did deserve it after what she went through, Brackett reasoned.


	4. the prediciment

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

* * *

Chapter four 

The predicament

Brackett saw the grim expressions on both of the paramedics face because of the latest rescue. The small child was stuck in a burning building and by the time they had got to him, the child had stopped breathing. From the conclusions of the tests he took, he knew that it would take a miracle for the child to ever come out of the coma and then it would be another miracle if he didn't have any brain damage. Shaking his head, he filled them in on the infant's condition.

"Wow, I sympathize with the parents. I know it may seem selfish but I'm glad little Rorie's okay," Johnny added.

Brackett frowned.

"There's something else I found out today speaking about Rorie," he added with a curious expression.

Johnny shrugged and added, "It's a nickname and besides she loves it."

"What were you going to say Doc," Roy asked rolling his eyes at his wayward partner.

"It looks like she's never going to be able to have kids of her own," Brackett said.

Both paramedics looked startled. Johnny in particular looked very grim with the news. Brackett knew that Johnny had been spending his off days with the girl as well as between runs and completely understood why he had it hard. But all thought bad wondering what would cause a person to do that to their own child, nonetheless a step child.

"What was it exactly," Roy asked.

"A tear in the uterus. We had to remove it to stop the bleeding or we would have lost her to the blood loss," Brackett told them. "Also there's an indication that the step father most likely molested her and he twisted both her legs in intervals because they are at different levels of healing."

Johnny absorbed the words with a heavy heart. She was a really happy girl from what he could tell every time he saw her and now she could have a full life ahead of her or so he had thought. It seemed there were things though that she'd never be able to experience because of that man that her mother let into her life hurt her both physically and mentally.

"I'm going to see Rorie is it okay Roy," he asked turning to Roy.

"I'll get the supplies," Roy told him sighing.

Johnny nodded and made his way to the little patient's room.

Sighing again, Roy turned to Brackett and said, "Hopefully we find out more about the little girl's father so she could be released and Johnny would quit obsessing over her."

Brackett tried to hide his amused expression but Roy didn't miss it and quirked an eyebrow.

"I believe I already know who her father is although I have yet to get that tested," Brackett replied.

"How do you know," Roy asked.

"Because just the other day, we saw her pouting because her favorite friend had given her a teddy bear that has seen better days and the nurse thought it was a hazard," Dixie got in before Brackett could say anything.

"Then she tried to bite a nurse when she came to give her her daily antibiotic," Dixie continued with a small smile.

"Dix it wasn't a nurse who ended up gotten bitten it was me and she sure does bite hard," Brackett said pretending to be hurt.

"Oh poor baby, I'm going to see if there is any amusement going on or Skipper has made it out the window yet. You wouldn't believe the type of things she's put that doll through. We even managed to find it in the bathroom," Dixie added.

Roy shook his head. This was certainly something that would entertain Chet. Sighing he made his way to the room to collect his partner and drop in for a quick visit.

* * *

Mike was angry when he heard that he was charged with attempted murder if he was even caught. He now knew he was going to punish her badly. He followed through with the progress of the little brat and found out she was getting better. She couldn't talk much but he knew when she did, there'd be problems. They may have knew that he hurt her but they still didn't know who the real dad was and that was annoying. He believed the little girl had to be the most annoying kid on the planet. Ever since he came into Laura's life, it had always been about the one year old. Now she was two and he would proudly admit for the world to hear that he beat the living day lights out of her.

Snickering he dropped his cigarette in a trashcan watching as it slowly caught fire. If only his stepdaughter had gone up in flames none of this would have happened. Firstly, the DHS would get into trouble not that he cared anyways because they sent her back when there were bruises up and down the back of her legs. Secondly, they were bound to find out what he'd done to her and that's why he wanted her dead. Their tests were going to get him into trouble because she had to be rescued from that stupid fireman. The one Laura had been seeing before because she had a picture of him although he had shorter hair then.

Smiling evilly he knew what he had to do. Once the brat got out of the hospital he was going to get even, if he had to break every bone in the little girl's body he would. Next, he was going to kill the fireman for helping her in the first place. He believed that he must've been on drugs that day. He didn't like his stepdaughter so he knew there was no way anybody else would either. Her own mother constantly said she loved the said girl but when it came time to either party or spend time with the girl, she chose to party and leave her at home with him.

Yup, he thought as he headed to his relative's that would allow him time to hide it out, that little bastard didn't have anybody to love since birth.

* * *

"Hey Gage, you didn't kill Skipper again did you when you and that child were playing that is," Chet asked purposely. 

Johnny turned to Roy in shock.

"You told them," he asked.

Roy shrugged. He wasn't going to give a straight answer knowing Johnny would be angry with any answer he gave and didn't want to deal with him the entire shift.

"So where's Skipper now," Marco asked with a snicker.

Johnny went a deep red before answering, "Out the window. She threw her out the window and it got ran over."

The other men collapsed in laughter. Even Hank Stanley who tried to command them to stop was laughing. He had a two year old at one time and even though she was now in high school, Hank remembered when she was real little well. It always looked like the years that they were an infant or toddler were the times to cherish. Roy had a five year old who was in the beginning of her preschooler stage and knew when she was three years younger, she was quite boisterous. They both missed the terrible two's although they wouldn't admit it if anyone were to ask.

"Come on, at least she's now talking more than ever and she trusts the nurses if you don't count the one she tried to bite," Johnny told them.

"How'd that go," Chet asked grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"She bit Brackett instead," Roy answered also grinning.

The Mike, Marco, and Chet was laughing so hard now they had tears forming in the corner of their eyes. Hank and Roy knew what it was like to have a child that bit didn't think it was real funny at all but Johnny just rolled his eyes heavenward and got up.

"Where are you going," Chet asked him when he was able to control himself.

"I'm going to see how Rorie's doing Chet, not like it's any of your business," Johnny added heading for the dorm.

Mike shared a look with cap and Roy.

"Is it just me or is he getting to close to that patient," Mike asked.

"Isn't a paramedic supposed to stay unattached to a patient," Chet said.

"Usually yeah but this kid has so many things she's been through that you can't help but feel for her. I may be selfish thinking this but I'm glad my kids never had to go through that much in the lifespan of two years of their lives. I mean she was molested, kicked, hit, and who knows what else. We were told at Rampart that they had to do an emergency surgery last night and that they had to remove her uterus. She'll never have children ever and that's something that no child should have to go through," Roy told them his voice wavering as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

After a minute, Hank said, "I can't believe they allow someone to have a child when all they're going to do is hurt them. It never happened to my two girls and I can only hope that it doesn't happen to others."

The rest nodded.

Just then Johnny walked in whistling a tune and smiling broadly. Seeing their looks, he rose his eyebrow but didn't ask. Instead he sat down in one of the chairs and rested his chin on his hands.

"What are you guys upset about," he asked.

"What are you happy about," Roy asked.

"Rorie is going to be released soon so they're getting firefighters from two in a half years ago to submit to a paternity test. Even though they may not want the kid, they need to know the father or at least a relative that she could go to. Her mother's last name was what though? Maybe they can find a relative that way. I know I'll ask," Johnny finished jumping up and heading for the phone.

The men just shook their heads. When he was on a roll he never quite stopped.

Johnny came back after the phone call deep in thought. The guys looked at him curiously until he caught their look and frowned.

"You know her maiden name was Shultz meaning that Laura Shultz is the daughter of Emma Shultz who would then be Rorie's grandmother," he explained.

"And that's bad because," Chet asked leaving the rest of the sentence hanging.

"Because dult, I knew Emma and I dated her daughter two in a half years ago and," he cleared his throat before continuing. "She may of mentioned that one time when I visited her that she had a very beautiful granddaughter that she was trying to get away from her daughter," Johnny explained.

"You're in contact with her. How could you pull that off when I don't have a good relationship with my own mother in law," Roy asked him.

Johnny shrugged.

"Holy oh my gosh!" Marco exclaimed.

They looked at him.

"What I may have reason to believe she is your daughter. It all sums up," he added.

By the look of the other men as they thought of the similar traits, they agreed.


	5. home at last

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency!

* * *

Chapter five 

home at last

Aurora pouted for most of the day when she found out her doll Skipper wasn't coming back. When the nurse tried to explain that it was because of the fact that she threw it outside and it was smashed by several cars, but she continued to pout. The only thing that brought her mind off of it was when Johnny visited and gave her a brand new doll that was different from skipper but far better.

Her grandmother suprised her by dropping in for a visit and although she didn't remember her, she was happy for the company. Mamaw as she called her was just as nice as her daddy and she now had a bunch of toys for when she left the hospital. As she played with her mamaw, she couldn't help but remember where she had been before this had happened. She hoped that she wouldn't be going back to daddie Mike at all or her mommie. Her mommie hurt her too when she saw her stuff and flushed it.

Looking over at mamaw, she was afraid to try to express her fear because in a short few seconds she feared they'd say this was going to end and she was going back to them. Whimpering, she squeezed her teddy bear to her chest and closed her eyes tightly.

"What is it sweatie," her mamaw asked.

"Me no go 'ome," she asked opening her eyes and looking up with a scared expression.

Emma shook her head.

"No sweatie, you are going to your daddie's home. You know the one who's been visiting and he'll never let that mean man touch you," she told her.

Aurora's face brightened. She was not only going home but the guy that had been so nice to her was her daddy and he was going to take care of her. She smiled still holding on to her teddy bear and thinking about her daddie.

"Now that's better. When he comes in this morning, he'll probably take you right to the station so that you haven't have to spend another moment at this place," she added.

Aurora smiled.

She hoped she would leave sooner but as long as daddie was coming, she'd be happy.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm the father, doc. I mean, she could have been half the other partners Laura's been with-"

"And yet she's your biological daughter," Brackett interupted.

Johnny nodded and then couldn't help but brighten his mood. He knew there was a reason he felt so close to her but he couldn't place it until now. Looking at Dr. Brackett he wondered if he saw any similarities between Aurora and him. The girl had a big appetite, she had beautiful smiles, and she was hyper.

"Well at least let me know that I can take her with me now," Johnny joked a little.

"Don't you have work hose jockey," Brackett teased.

Johnny nodded and then spotted a bandaid on the doctor's hand.

"She drew blood again doc," he asked innocently.

"She hates shots and the nurses won't touch her with one so someone has to do it," Dr. Brackett said frowning a little. He then continued, "Go ahead, have your little girl but make sure she doesn't walk much on it."

Johnny nodded and headed to his daughter's room. When he saw Emma talking to her he smiled. He thought about how Roy had a horrible relationship with his in-law and he was good to his children and wife. He wondered how he got lucky to have a child and a mother by child that liked him. He now knew why Roy was sort of jeolous.

"Ready to go," he asked Aurora.

Aurora smiled and nodded.

He picked her up and turned to Emma but before he could say anything she said, "Go on and go to work, I'll have my grand babie's toys brought to the apartment since you so kindly invited me over."

Johnny nodded and waved a goodbye. Aurora copied it until she could no longer see her mamaw and then turned forward. She didn't know where her daddy worked but she was a little nervous wondering if all daddies were nice while in the hospital and then turned into people like daddy Mike when they left. Her fear was short lived when he pulled into the fire station and lifted her out, carrying her in the station.

"Hey is that your doll partner," Chet asked.

Aurora laughed seeing her daddy's face turn red.

"Chet go away," he snapped and brought the little girl into the bayroom and sat on the couch next to Henry.

Eyeing the dog, she made sure there was a distance in front of her so that the strange creature couldn't get to her. She remembered when she was one years that a creature like that had ripped apart her toe and had her mother not taken her to the hospital then, she would have lost it. It was also when they found her booboos and owies but decided mommie was telling the truth about how they got there even though she really didn't.They sent someone later that believed her again although daddie Mike had said that he hit her head against a banister and mommie laughed saying it was an accident.

One of the men went over and pet it and she shrieked wondering why they didn't run away from it. It would tear them too, she thought.

"Come on, this is Henry and he won't hurt you," Chet told her.

She set her fearful eyes on him and he seemed to understand for he didn't try to persuade her to touch it or anything. Another of the men came and sat down next to her. He was telling Chet to do the latrine and she couldn't help but let out a little giggle at that. Chet gave a sour look before going to do it and the man turned to her again.

"That was Chet, don't worry about him, he's weird," The man told her.

She nodded wondering if he was trying to nice her telling her because he thought she was dumb.

"Then there's Marco, Mike, and Roy," He continued.

She continued to show recognition and wondered why everyone was so nice to her. She believed she was just a stupid baby that couldn't even listen to daddy Mike and yet these people were showing her kindness when she least deserved it.

"And I'm Captain Stanley so nice to meet you," he finished.

"Me A'ora," she told him.

He nodded and shook her hand. Everytime she got a scared feeling, she squeezed her teddy bear and she felt better. Today she was out of her hospital clothes and had on a striped purple collar shirt and tan caprese. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail on the top of her head and she had a purple ribbon in the shape of a bow on it. She couldn't wear any shoes because she still wore casts but they were colorful and were blue and pink. Signitures were adorned all over the casts and even though her bruise on the left temple was turning an ugly purple color, she felt better than she had in ages.

"You like clam chowder," Stanley asked.

Without hesitation she nodded. After going days maybe weeks in instances where she wouldn't be allowed to eat anything at home, she could eat anything and definately wasn't picky. So if the nice man was offering food, she'd eat it in a heartbeat.

She was home at last.

* * *


	6. Child care challenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency!

* * *

Chapter six

Aurora started to get used to being around strangers after time went on. Now since Johnny got her used to staying with Emma while he went to work, there was only one thing to conquer and that was child care. Emma was okay with staying with her since she loved her granddaughter so much but Johnny also wanted Aurora to have friends to play with to boost her developement.

At the moment Chet, Roy, and Mike were playing dolls with her although they wouldn't admit it to anyone especially Dixie at Rampart. They also had to admit though that she was very easily amused.

"So Skippy, what say it's we do," Chet asked in a false voice for the ken doll.

"We wun way togetter," Aurora tried a new pitch for her doll and sent the men laughing.

She joined in thinking she was amusing them greatly. She didn't know how but she got them to play with her. She still had casts around her legs so she usually crawled to get something but once in a while she'd try to walk on them only to slip and go back to the army crawl. Most of the time it was fun but it quickly wore her out and she usually laid panting after so much vigorous activity. Smiling she through the barbie which narrowly missed Chet's head.

"What'd you do that for," Chet asked astounded.

"She dwied," Aurora answered simply once again standing and managing to walk two steps before she slid to the floor.

She then started to army crawl away and Chet gave an amused glance to the others before going after her. Roy rolled his eyes thinking that the usually smart Chet was starting to loose brain cells by hanging around a toddler that couldn't talk all that good yet.

"At least he'll be able to learn his numbers with her. I heard she could count all the way to twenty," Mike replied sending Roy into gales of laughter.

Roy thought on occasions that she would be the perfect play mate for Jenny but knew that she was just getting used to adults being over and decided to wait and see how the daycare experience went for her. He knew that Jenny was two in half years older than her and that they both shared a love to play barbies although he was sure Jenny never tried to kill hers off.

"Little rugrat's ready for the touch down," Chet was saying.

Looking over he noticed that Chet had her on his shoulders and he was making her laugh. All we need is a long lost child of Chet's and then we'll have Pigeon jr. and phantom jr. Roy thought. But Aurora did seem to be having a good time pretending to be an airplane on Chet and the man was obviously good with children. Even a bigger suprise than Johnny was Roy admonished.

Johnny entered the room just as Chet started to twirl her around with Marco close behind. Shaking his head, he twirled a finger around his temple to single that Chet had gone loco and got his daughter out of Chet's arms before she got so dizzy, she'd throw up.

"Oh hey Johnny," Chet greeted.

"My daugther doesn't need to be twirled around so that you know, she will do that fine on her own," he told him.

"Wah Wah Wah, I forgot to care," Chet remarked.

"Come on, I had to find the perfect location for the you know what," Johnny said being careful that Aurora didn't know.

"Fine but I told you Marco knew the best places," Chet replied sitting down waiting for the room to stop spinning.

Johnny grinned and said, "Chet maybe that'll be the lesson not to spin around the room so fast anymore."

"Awww, you're starting to sound like Cap," Chet complained.

Mike snickered and Roy rolled his eyes. If Aurora was anything like Johnny, she'd fit into childcare just fine. On second thought, he believed that it would be the people there that'd have to watch out for her.

* * *

When Nancy came to work that day, she never realized what was going to happen or did she think she'd ever expect it. The children were always a little rumbunctous but they were fine. Never to this day would she ever believe that a child would come in and she could be able to tell how much trouble they would be.

As she watched little Paris run around in nothing but a diaper wondering how the three year old ever got away with it with her parents, she was suprised when a new child was brought in with a man she never saw before either. The child had two casts on her legs but it was hard to tell how long the cast went up because she had on a little blue skort, a pink tank top and her blonde hair was in a pony tail at the top of her head in a pink bow.

"Hi I'm Nancy McDermont and you are," she asked.

"I'm Johnny Gage and this is my daughter Aurora," he greeted.

Aurora actually struggled to be let down and was off to play with the other kids before he knew it. He actually thought it was going to be a challenge to get her to be here but it looked like this was the easiest by far. Aurora was getting aquainted with a little brown haired girl in pigtails and a little blonde haired girl in only a diaper.

"She isn't shy at all is she," Nancy asked.

"Nope, not anymore. She had it ruff being with her stepfather and mother but now she's fine," Johnny added.

Nancy smiled.

"I hope she isn't too much trouble," she said.

"I'm sure she's a good little girl," he answered.

Nancy gave him some forms to sign and since it was the first week, it was free with enrollment which was always good. Johnny went to say goodbye to his daughter and before leaving made sure it was clear that her grandmother was going to pick her up. Smiling he went off to work leaving her with her new friends.

* * *

Nancy was glad it was almost naptime. The kids were rowdier than usual and the new one seemed to be the more energetic child than most of the other kids here. Eric had been quietly playing with blocks like he did everytime he was here because he was a quiet shy four year old but when Aurora arrived she got him to play with her and the other children.

Smiling, she saw eric playing with the blocks as a group with them wondering if it could have been done a lot sooner had the other kids became interested like Aurora had. Seeing Aurora she groaned. Great, now she was messing with one of the preschoolers who just got here, she thought.

"Let me see it," she demanded.

The preschooler shook his head. Stubbornly she refused to budge.

"Let me touch it," she continued in a whiny type voice.

"No," the kid said.

"Let me touch it," she repeated.

Finally Nancy joined in.

"He doesn't want you to touch it sweetie," she told her.

"I wanna touch it," she wailed.

The boy quickly left the area and the teacher sighed. The girl was such a sweetie but she constantly wanted the things done her way and as a result, some of the kids clashed heads with her figuratively speaking of course. Nancy had it taped thinking that her daddie was more likely to believe it if he seen it with his own eyes. It was obvious she had been abused but now she was the most outgoing girl she knew and she hoped she had a bright future ahead of her.

"Nancy," Aurora called.

"Yes, ma'm," Nancy joked.

"When's Mamaw coming," she asked.

"At a quarter to seven," Nancy answered with a smile.

"Oh, Nancy, Mamaw will wike you," she added.

It was also apparent that even though she was a trouble maker she was a really sweet girl. Yes, behind all the trouble was a sweet girl.


	7. another predicament

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

* * *

Chapter seven 

another predicament

Johnny wasn't sure what surprised him the most these days; the fact that his daughter had friends fighting over her or the fact that she was in fact a trouble maker in daycare. He knew that since he crossed the daycare barrier unscathed, he had one more predicament. Her mother just wanted to see her and the fact that he would be there was not all together bad. It was the fact that Aurora had gone through so much at the hands of her stepfather and the fact that her mother just turned her head and ignored it all was the ultimate betrayal.

Aurora was on the floor laying on her belly as she colored in her coloring book. She didn't seem to have anymore bad dreams and in fact was doing really well. Johnny knew that she wasn't going to be a blondie much sooner because her hair was starting to turn brown. Johnny thought as he heard her hum happily that if he had the chance to do this all over again, he'd probably ending up doing it the same way. He loved his daughter and he knew that nothing would ever bring back the innocence she had had before her step dad came into her life, but now that he was out, she would be fine.

The casts came off a week before and she was happily walking and in some cases running. Smiling as he looked over to wards her he wondered if every parent felt this way. Frowning he realized that her mother was coming in a few odd minutes.

"Daddy, I making a tree," she told him happily.

Johnny nodded but wondered if she would take it as calmly as the child care she now had come to adore. The knock at his door got Aurora up and running to wards it before Johnny could stop her.

"Gage's wesiwence," she stopped short when she realized who it was.

"Hi Aurora," Laura said trying to remain optimistic.

She ran and hid behind Johnny who came up to the door in case something like this would happen. He knew it was too soon but he knew Laura wanted to make it up so bad for all that her daughter went through but they both knew she couldn't.

"Listen Aurora I just came by to say that I'm sorry. I know it seems selfish of me since that mean man hurt you soo much. I just want to find a way to take a time portal and make it so that I never knew him but I know that that's impossible. There's no way I could ever be a good enough mother for you. I have to live with that fact every day of my life and if you died I wouldn't have been able to have lived with it," Laura told her on the verge of tears.

Meekly, Aurora went over and wrapped her small arms around her mother in a hug. Laura picked her up and hugged her snuggly. After, she set her down and sat on the couch.

"Aurora, you look like your daddie so much. I'm not going to stay long but I just wanted to tell you if there is anything I could do, just call,"Laura handed a sheet of paper with her phone number on it and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she headed out the door.

Aurora stared at her dad with an unreadable expression for a minute and then spoke up, "Daddie, Brownie and Kylie come over?"

Johnny shook his head. As usual she recovered from the experience without another thought.

* * *

Mike was angry. The little girl was going to get her pay and it was about time that he acted. He was going to make it very imaginable and make sure she died painfully and slowly. He had thoughts of torturing the fireman but realized that the city needed them too much for him to do that too. So he decided to wait until she went to daycare the next morning and then went over there to pose as a friend.

Miss Nancy looked up from separating Aurora and Ontario from their little confrontation about the most nastiest snakes and went over to him. She knew him from somewhere but didn't know what. It seemed that she was too tired to notice a lot of things these days what with Aurora starting every kid to have little tidbits and then confronting them when she didn't get her own way. The little girl was going to be three soon and that meant she was going to start putting her in time out. The rules were that no kid under the age of three understood what timeout was so they weren't entitled to it. Aurora was now being way too hyper today meaning that she wasn't going to want to nap at all and instead got involved with Dennis and looking for any insect they could find when she approached the stranger.

"Hi may I help you," she asked.

"I'm here for the toddler Aurora," he told her.

Nancy quirked her eyebrows. It wasn't very often that someone came for the girl. Once in a while, her grandmother would pick her up early and she would be glad as the girl would be putting her energies towards getting Emma to listen about her day and not bother Nancy. Although she was a sweet girl, she often got into trouble and she wouldn't feel very sorry most of the times.

"Emma is really busy uh," Nancy asked him.

The stranger nodded and she collected the toddler's bags and handed it to him. Next she called Aurora and told her she was to go with the man. Aurora stopped from telling the lady bug she had found that it was bad and looked at the guy warily. She went over though without question and took his hand in hers.

Mike smiled evilly and once they were outside and in the back, he kicked her hard. Aurora didn't make a sound scared that if she did, he'd become madder and hurt her more.

"You are one ugly useless kid. I hated you ever since I met you and yet your mother allowed you to be saved by letting that fireman know that you were in that house. Well guess what, you won't be saved this time," He growled at her and slapped her across the face.

She accidental let out a whimper and he slapped her so hard she saw stars.

She knew this would only be the beginning.

* * *

Ashley Demayo knew that she was just going to miss her unborn child more by going by places that reminded her of what she could've had. She missed the baby she knew wasn't going to be born. Crying she made her way by the childcare and watched as the children played. She hated being a widow, she hated having miscarried her baby and she hated that she was just another statistic of those who miscarried in the US.

She saw a man in the back smacking a child just because she whimpered and frowned. That was one guy that didn't deserve to have children, she thought. She raced to her green sedan and decided to follow them. About a block later they ended up in an old neighborhood which had been halfway burnt down and then it dawned on her. Many people were injured in this fire because of an arsonist. She watched as the man grabbed the child out of the seat and was met by another woman who started screaming at him. She hated when a child was the center of that violence. The man then slapped the woman and she let out a cry of pain. Ashley didn't know why a man would do so much to those two because she couldn't find any fault at this. The child looked like she was silently wishing for an escape and the woman was now complaining.

Deciding now then ever she hid behind his car and tried to quietly get the child's attention. There was no way that she was going to let the child get hurt in this. The child looked at her with such sad eyes that she knew they were saying, 'help me, can't you help me.' The man grabbed the little girl and headed inside before she could try to do anything. Deciding once he was inside to not just stand around, she called 911.

"Hello what is the nature of this emergency?"

"I have a child being physically hurt real bad and I'm afraid if you don't send someone down here fast, she's going to die," Ashley told him.

"Okay 8016A apartments?" the dispatcher asked.

"yeah and there's one woman and the guys hitting both real bad," Ashley added.

"We're going to get someone there as fast as we can," the dispatcher promised.

Ashley could only hope.

* * *

Inside Laura looked at her own baby being hurt again by the monster and decided that she wasn't going to let it happen this time. She told her that if she could somehow had stopped it before she regretted not doing it. She decided that she was going to make sure that he didn't hurt her anymore. 

"Stop Mike. She's my child and I tell you to stop," she snapped.

"Go back to drugs you whore and leave me alone," Mike punched her and she looked at him dazed.

She had enough and flung herself on him only to be stabbed in the gut. She heard Aurora's cries for her mother and knew that she had tried at least. Laying back on the floor she vomited blood all over. Mike looked at her in digust and then pulled her into the room. This time she was going to burn up in flames.

* * *

Ashley saw the man exiting thirty minutes later and wondered where the units were. She saw smoke rising and knew she couldn't wait. First she called and told them about the man on the run and then ran into the building with no idea where they were. She spied the woman on the floor bleeding to death and decided to get her down and out of the house first. Then she went back up just as the smoke was getting bad. She saw the child in the bedroom and didn't like what she saw. The girl had first degree and second degree burns, bruises all over and her arm was at a wierd angle. She wasn't breathing and she couldn't hear a heart beat but she still had a pulse so she began CPR. Knowing though that she was putting both their lives in jeopardy, she quickly carried her outside and continued doing the CPR. 

She was happy when the cops and fire department came and took over for her because she was out of breath. One of the firmen got the little girl's heartbeat back and even though she still wasn't breathing, they got permission to insert an airway. She was hulled away by a cop who was asking what transpired and decided that she did all she could and that the trained professionals were doing good from there so she went to answer his questions. She prayed silently though, that the little girl would be alright.


	8. epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

* * *

Chapter eight

Ashley didn't know why she was being asked to see the dad of the little girl. She didn't do anything heroic and she didn't want an anry father blaming her that she didn't do enough but with god's blessing she headed to room 117 at Rampart emergency and smiled when she saw the little girl reading a book to what looked like the father.

The little girl stopped reading when she saw her and smiled warmly. She had bruises all over her little face and all over her body plus a broken arm but she was alive and Ashley thanked the lord that he answered her prayers. The little girl tipped her head sideways and she wondered if she was trying to be funny.

"I Aurora," the little kid introduced.

"I'm Ashley Demayo," Ashley introduced.

Smiling Aurora pointed to the young man beside her.

"This me daddie," Aurora introduced.

Ashley nodded.

"It's nice to meet you both. I've prayed for the both of you and I'm so glad she's alright. Have they by any chance caught the man," she asked.

Johnny sadly shook his head.

"He's never going to stop until he get's her but we have the upper hand now. He's been caught in the daycare cameras and Nancy did say that she was over excerted at work and nobody can blame her but she also states that he looked nice at first. It must be why he got away this long. He can't come back here though without being noticed," Johnny explained.

"I miss mommie," Aurora said sadly.

"How's she," Ashley asked.

"She didn't make it but you did all you can," Johnny added.

Ashley nodded.

"It was all left upon the lord and I guess it was her time," Ashley said.

Aurora smiled.

"Well I'm going to go and I promise I'll be back to visit sometime," Ashley added.

Aurora hugged her tightly and smiled again.

"Buh bye mommie Ashley," she replied.

As Ashley exited the hospital she felt a heavy burden lift her and thanked god that she was now able to see that her unborn child was in a happy place with with him and that one day she would get to see her child.


End file.
